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My 5 Best Sources Of Fat (PLUS, Recipes!)

May 8, 2016

Those of you might remember that I ate a primarily plant-based diet (ie. vegan) for about 5-6 years. It was actually one of the best decisions as my body was dying for nutrients that a 100% plant-based eating lifestyle can provide. At the time, my stress levels were overflowing and the boost of vitamins and nutrients were helpful in healing.

But, years down the road, my hormones went completely out of whack. Now, that’s not to say that I didn’t invite stress into my life because that certainly happened. However, the “typical” vegan diet can lack essential fats if you’re not conscious in providing that component to every meal. So, about 1 year ago, I started incorporating eggs into my diet and shortly after, meat.

In my studies in nutrition, I started to learn more about the importance of fat, especially when it came to women’s health. We’ve spent so many years promoting the low-fat diet which ended up incorporating more sugar to compensate for the lack of flavour and depth that low-fat foods bring. Such a big FAT mistake — then came the rise in obesity due to SUGAR, not fat. So frustrating.

What began to happen when I started to consciously add more fat to my diet?

I was sleeping better. Like a dramatic shift.

I had no after meal bloating (this was a compliment to my moderate paleo eating lifestyle as well)

I was ovulating regularly. (I’m not trying to get pregnant but this process is essential for women’s health)

I’m not trying to advocate against a plant-based diet here. In fact, I would say that 90% of my plate will always incorporate vegetables in abundance since they play such an important part in optimal health. But, fat is an essential ingredient in our bodies to help give us energy, help with brain functioning, and it is required to help the body to produce sex hormones. Cholesterol, that is found in fat, is a precursor of almost every single hormone in your body. So, if your cholesterol is too low then how are you going to make the hormones?

And, PS…the right types of fat don’t make you fat y’all! In fat, eating the right types of fat at every meal helps you body to use fat and burn fat as fuel!

Here are my top 5 Best Sources of Fat (PLUS Recipes!)

Coconut Oil / Coconut Milk
My absolute favourite type of oil is coconut since, for a fat, it is so versatile. I use it for cooking but also to wash my face of makeup. Then comes coconut milk which makes such a great addition to coffee, smoothies, soups, and a few of my favourite recipes listed below:

Olives
This may be the easiest ingredient of all. Did you know that Olives are 80-85% of monounsaturated fat making them the perfect fat-fuel? There are two ways that I eat olives – I just simply snack on them like this perfect lunch/snack platter here or I toss them into a zucchini pasta with chili flakes, sea salt and pepper – so simple, so yum.

Avocados
Avocados have been touted as the perfect food. There is a boat-load of amazing fats and nutrition in this fruit.

Eggs
I would almost say that eggs are pretty much the perfect food similar to avocados. They are a great combination of fat and protein and something as easy as a hard boiled egg can make the perfect snack on the go. But, remember: don’t waste your time on just egg whites. It is critical to get your hands on the yoke as most of the nutrition is found there. Also, if at all possible, choose organic and free range eggs.

Make a version of avocado toast and use egg salad with free-range egg mayo like this one!

Okay, is this fat talk overwhelming at all? If you’re looking for a little advice and coaching, you’ll greatly benefit from this e-book bundle from Healthful Pursuit that I got my little hands on to educate myself and to understand the benefits of fat in my diet and how it links to women’s health.

The one size fits all approach to nutritional ketosis ends now. Fat Fueled is a sensible guide to creating a ketogenic life focused on plans to support thyroid imbalances, weight gain, adrenal fatigue, hormone irregularities, anxiety, candida, infertility, and more. A revolutionary wheat-, dairy-, gluten-, egg-, nut-, legume-, and sugar-free approach to the ketogenic eating style to uncover your best self by fueling; and healing, with fat.